Dryer for removing moisture from analytical samples



April 9, 1963 A. w. FORNET 3,084,452

DRER FOR REMOVING MOISTURE FROM ANALYTICAL SAMPLES Filed Aug. 5, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I

INVENTOR Arfhur W. Fornef ATTORNEY April 9, 11963 A. w. FORNET 3,084,452

DRYER FOR REMOVING MOISTURE FROM ANALYTICAL SAMPLES Filed Aug. 5, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IHI V 9 ll Q) g |5 4 2 L *7 il 0 I6 W 2 llOV INVENTOR Arfhur W. Forne'r tinned dtates Patent 3,084,452 DRYER FGR REMGVHNG MOESTURE FROM ANALYTICAL SAMPLES Arthur W. Fornet, 1435 N. Hudson Ave., Chicago 19, 1111. Filed Aug. 5, 1968, Ser. No. 47,880 2 Claims. (1. 34-137) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), see. 266) A non-exclusive, irrevocable, royalty-free license in the invention herein described, throughout the world for all purposes of the United States Government, with the power to grant sublicenses for such purposes, is hereby granted to the Government of the United States of America.

This invention relates to a dryer for removing moisture from samples of a material for purposes of analysis and has among its objects the accomplishment of the drying in a rapid and simple manner, and in which a sample is subjected to relatively consistent conditions of drying atmosphere during the removal of moisture from the sample. Other objects will be apparent from the following detail description and accompanying drawing in which FIG. 1 is a section of the dryer on line 11 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a section on line 22 of FIG. 1, with parts broken away for illustration purposes; and

FIG. 3 is a section of a detail on line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

In the drawing an oven .10 is provided with a cage like rotor :11 fixedly mounted inside the oven on a rotatable hollow axle 12 which is driven in any desired manner such as by a V-pulley 13 and motor (not shown). The rotor carries any desirable number of axially extending similar rods one of which is shown at 1.4 on which is swivelly mounted a tray carrying rack 15 such that the center of gravity of the rack is oil its axis of mounting. Thus as the rotor is turned the rack always maintains its upright position.

The samples to be dried are placed in trays such as 16 carried by the rack. Door opening 20 is provided in the side of the oven and door 21 is closed or opened by rope '22 belted over pulley 23.

Loading hod '25 in the form of a trough is provided at one end with a magnet 26, so that the magnet may be placed against the bottom of the rack, which is made of magnetic material, and the rack tilted to align its bottom with the bottom of the loading 110d. The trays are loaded ice by sliding them up the hod by hand, pushing a movable end piece 23 against them, and are unloaded by pushing the trays oit the rack onto the hod.

A heater 30, as for example as electric heater element, is located centrally of the rotor in the oven. Slip rings 31 and 32 mounted on axle 12 and stationary contacts 33 and 34 feed current from the usual v. source to the electric heater element. Air is admitted into the oven through air inlet ports such as ports 35 and exhausted through chimney 36, which is sufficiently high to provide for exhausting of the air by convection.

The air is maintained in circulation within the oven so as to keep the samples under uniform treatment. The circulation is aided by the rotor itself acting as a fan. For this purpose blades, such as blade 33 are secured on the periphery of the rotor. Blades such as blade 40 are also secured to the tray carrying racks. These latter blades are wider at one end than the other and are alternated on alternate racks as illustrated with the result that they tend to move the air back and forth axially of the rotor.

I claim:

1. A dryer comprising an oven, a rotor inside the oven, tray-carrying racks swivelly mounted on the rotor so that the center of gravity of each rack is off its axis of mounting thus to maintain the tray in upright position as the rotor turns, fan blades on the periphery of the rotor to aid in maintaining circulation of air in the oven, a fan blade wider on one end than the other secured to each rack, the blades being alternated on alternate racks thus to move the air back and forth axially of the rotor, and a heater located centrally of the rotor whereby samples in the trays are subjected to relatively consistent conditions of drying atmosphere during removal of moisture from the samples.

2. A dryer, according to claim 1 in which the oven is provided with air inlet ports and an exhaust chimney sufliciently high to provide for exhausting of the air by convection.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,087,589 Klaehn Feb. 17, 1914 1,540,600 Cavitch June 2, 1925 1,637,831 Miller Aug. 2, 1927 1,891,802 Drew Dec. 20, 1932 

1. A DRYER COMPRISING AN OVEN, A ROTOR INSIDE THE OVEN, TRAY-CARRYING RACKS SWIVELLY MOUNTED ON THE ROTOR SO THAT THE CENTER OF GRAVITY OF EACH RACK IS OFF ITS AXIS OF MOUNTING THUS TO MAINTAIN THE TRAY IN UPRIGHT POSITION AS THE ROTOR TURNS, FAN BLADES ON THE PERIPHERY OF THE ROTOR TO AID IN MAINTAINING CIRCULATION OF AIR IN THE OVEN, A FAN BLADE WIDER ON ONE END THAN THE OTHER SECURED TO EACH RACK, THE BLADES BEING ALTERNATED ON ALTERNATE RACKS THUS TO MOVE THE AIR BACK AND FORTH AXIALLY OF THE ROTOR, AND A HEATER LOCATED CENTRALLY OF THE ROTOR WHEREBY SAMPLES IN THE TRAYS ARE SUBJECTED TO RELATIVELY CONSISTENT CONDITIONS OF DRYING ATMOSPHERE DURING REMOVAL OF MOISTURE FROM THE SAMPLES. 